#227 Jerusalem or Babylon? and How to Live in It [Encore]

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Over the last few years, I have had a fascinating conversation with pastors and other committed Christians about these critical questions: “Are we, as American Christians, in the equivalent of Jerusalem or Babylon? And, given the answer to that question, how should we engage our culture and the public square?” This may seem like an academic musing with little practical benefit. I promise you it is not. How we answer these questions influences how we think through recent events and engage in public life. Here are some reflections on this topic:

Note: This is an “encore” episode that was previously published in the spring of 2021. Since then, I have become even more convinced of this statement: how we interpret our cultural moment will impact how we engage it. For that reason and because we have a number of new listeners this spring, we decided to replay this episode as an explanation of one of our distinctives.

Scripture

I have found it helpful to contrast 2 Chronicles 7:14, which is a specific promise to Solomon and the people of Israel, with Jeremiah 18:7-8, which is a more general promise to all nations.

Definitions

Please note that these are generalizations, and I have learned much from Christians that hold to differing opinions on this. Here are those two categories as I have heard them expressed or observed them in the public square:

Jerusalem Position: We, as America Christians, are God’s chosen people or almost chosen people.This nation was founded as a Christian nation, and we must win it back to God at all costs. Progressive forces have hijacked the experiment, and we must do battle with those forces to propel America back to its ordained or at least critical role in the world. In this, we must look to the equivalent of King David, who ruled a monolithic, religiously uniform society with an express destiny from Heaven and a duty to mandate that uniformity so all the world can see the glory of God.

Babylon Position: We, as American Christians, live in a multicultural, religiously diverse melting pot with great power in the world and a god, ourselves, that we cannot worship. We lament the rise of unbiblical principles and influences in our society; and, as dual citizens of heaven and the United States, we recognize our responsibility to engage our culture with a focus on the gospel. So we look to Daniel, the Old Testament prophet and statesman who prayed for and provided wisdom to at least four kings in two competing empires; and, in so doing, pointed those kings and empires to the one true, King.

Implications

As you have probably guessed by now, my preferred approach is the Babylon position because I believe it most closely follows Scripture and reflects this cultural moment. I long for a day when America looks more like Jerusalem in that most Americans are true followers of Jesus (rather than a civil religion), but that is not the direction the United States is headed right now (absent a major spiritual renewal, which I pray for all the time). Here are some consequences or implications of holding to these positions. Again, these are generalizations (and I find it easy to default to winning at all costs and crushing enemies rather than battling ideas, etc.), but I hope these are helpful as you think about engaging in public life.

If America is Jerusalem, then:

1. We value identity over principles.
2. We cannot acknowledge change.
3. We must win at all costs.
4. We must crush our enemies.
5. We win when America looks like us.

If America is Babylon, then:

1. We value principles over identity.
2. We seek to lead change.
3. We must win with the cross.
4. We must love our enemies.
5. We win when America looks to Christ. 

In summary, I think we minister in a place more akin to Babylon, but I work each day to point people to Jerusalem–the new one, not the old (Rev. 21:2).

As always, your thoughts welcome.